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Chapter 43.

January 27th.

Carol opened her eyes, unable to ignore the insistent ringing of her house, it had been ringing continuously now for the last few hours. At first she tried her best to ignore it and just to concentrate on the warmth from Daryl's body wrapped around hers.

For fuck sake.

She moves out of Daryl's arms, swinging her legs out of the bed.

"Ya k?" Daryl mumbles sleepily.

"Yeah, just going to answer the phone, it's been ringing for ages now and it might be important." Carol answers as she climbs out bed, looking for her robe.

"I didn't hear." Daryl is surprise he didn't hear the phone, he is not normally a heavy sleeper, must be something to do with being wrapped around Carol. She helps him sleep. "I come with." Daryl says as he gets out of bed to follow her.

Carol walks downstairs towards her phone.

This better be important.

She does really want to answer the phone as part of her is worried that it could just be another silence call, but another part of her knows she has to answer just in case it is important.

"Hello.." Carols says answering the phone, there is nothing but silence on the other end.

"Hello, who is this?" She asks, trying again. Getting no answer. Carol hangs the phone and turns to look at Daryl.

"Who was it?"

"No answer, same as always. Who is it and why call me?"

"I don't know." Daryl replies pulling Carol towards him.

Daryl holds Carol close to him, as the stand in her hallway that is cast in a soft light from the landing light.

"Daryl." Carol says into his chest.

"Yeah."

"Do you think the calls have something to do with the girls Being murder?"

"Ain't sure, we call Rick in a few hours, let him know."

"OK, hopeful he be able to trace the calls." Carol replies. Before a different through enters her head, one she didn't want to think but couldn't help, one is hope it wasn't. "Oh god, what if it's Ed."

"Shh, Ain't Ed, his in jail." Daryl whispered, trying to clam Carol down. While thinking to himself.

When I catch the bastard I'm going to kill him, now he has poor Carol thinking it's fucking Ed.

"I make ya a cuppa, go sit down."

"Thanks, Daryl.

Carol sits on the sofa, her face in her hands.

God I hope it's not Ed, it can't be. Daryl's right his in jail, but who is it? Why me?

Daryl puts the kettle on, before going in to check on Carol, he hates seeing her this way, it tears his heart in two. Why do people keep hurting her, she doesn't hurt anyone. She is the kindest person he knows. He walks into the front room to seeing Carol crying into her hands, without saying a word he walks over and sits down next to her. He pulls her close to him, wraps his arms around her, as she rest her head against his chest. He holds her close to him, gently rubbing her back as he whispers sofa calming words to her.

They stay like that for ages, two lovers seeking and offer comfort with no idea of the danger that lurks outside.

After Carol is all cried out she moves her head from Daryl's chest to look into his eyes.

"Thank you for being here."

"Ain't got to thank me, I wanna be here for ya."

Carol gives him a sweet, soft kiss before saying. "Now about that cuppa."

Daryl chuckles before getting up and making his way into the kitchen, but something catches his eye, stopping him in his tracks. On the floor of the hallway by the front door, lies a note. Daryl moves slowly over, blending down to pick the note up, he turns it over seeing the words written. The blood drains from his face and rage sweeps though his body, someone is after his woman, someone wants to take Carol away from him.

NO this can't be happening.

Daryl is so lost in his own thoughts that he doesn't hear Carol calling him, or her footsteps, in fact he doesn't notice her at out until she is on floor in front of him.

"Daryl, what is it?"

Daryl looks up into the blue eyes that are now clouding in worry.

How can I tell her?

Before Daryl can even think of a way to tell her, or show her the note. Carol takes it off him and he is powerless to stop her all he can do is watch the fear show in her eyes as she reads the note.

How dare you? You are mine!

Carol reads the words on the note, fear running thought her body, fear for herself and fear for Daryl. Someone thinks she belongs to them.

"Oh god no." She cries, dropping the note.

Daryl moves towards to her, but just as he reaches out to touch her, Carol jumps up and out of his reach.

"Someone is going to hurt you." She shouts.

Daryl jumps up so he is standing in front off her. "No one is hurting me."

"How do you know, someone thinks I'm theirs, someone doesn't like me being with you."

"No will hurt me, ya don't belong to anyone."

"You going to get hurt because of me." Carol cries into her hands. How can this happen just when she was finally feeling happy. She can feel the tumble in her hands, working it's way up and though her whole body. Her blood turns to ice, making her feel cold both inside and outside and she knows there is no stopping this cold feeling, she is going to lose the one person she cares about the most.

Haven't I already been though enough? Haven't I already lost enough? I can't lose him, he can't get hurt because of me.

Carol could feel her legs give way as she crumbled to the floor, her lungs burned as she fought to breathe past the lump in her throat.

Daryl stood powerless, his heartbreaking as he watched Carol fall apart in front of his ever eyes.

This can't be real, she has been thought too much. I have to do something, she is everything to me.

As the thoughts run though his mind, he knew two things: one he wasn't going to let anyone hurt Carol, as long as he was living and breathing he would do everything in his power to protect her. And two he could see in her eyes and body language that she was about to pull away from him, in order to protect him. Which both warmed and scared him no one had apart from his brother and granddad had wanted to protect him before, while apart from his mum when she was alive. He couldn't lose someone else he cared about, he couldn't live without Carol. She was his light.

Daryl bends down and sweeps Carol up into his arms, thankful she doesn't stop him, he carries her though into the front room and places her gently down on the sofa. He brushes his lips against her forehead, before making his way back into the hallway. He picks up the phone and dials Rick number which he got from him yesterday just in case, turns out he needed it before he thought he could.

Rick answers on the second ring. "Hello."

"Rick, it's Daryl. We have a problem."

"What is it? Is Carol alright?"

"No and No, someone put a note thought her door."

"I'm on my way now."

Daryl hangs up the phone, he opens the front door to take a look out side. Everything is quite and no sigh off any one around. He turns around, shuts the door and makes his way back to Carol. He leans down onto his knees in front of her. "Carol." He whispers.

Carol looks up into Daryl's worried eyes. She knows he is worried about her, but she is more worried about him and she knows what she has to do to protect him and she knows it is going to hurt him, which is something she never wanted to do, but if it keeps him alive and safe than so be it. She takes a couple deep breaths in and out, wipes the tears from her eyes and checks.

"Daryl you have to leave."

"I ain't going no way woman."

"You have too, I can't be with you I'm sorry."

"What ya talkn about?"

"You stay with me and you will get hurt."

"Woman, I ain't leaving ya."

"Please Daryl, you can't get hurt because of me I can't lose you."

"Ya won't."

Tears steam down Carol faces she knows he won't leave no matter what she says, and she really can't bring herself to hurt him.

"I called Rick, his on the way."

Carol nods, thankful for him more than anything, but she is scared for him.

If he won't leave, I have to let him know how I feel. In case I don't get another chance.

Carol takes a deep breath and prays she is not about to make a fool of herself, part of her knows she's not. The other part is scared.

"Daryl?"

"Yeah."

"I'm falling in love with you."

There I said it, wasn't to hard.

Carol holds her breath as she watches Daryl's face, his eyes go wide and his face pales.

Oh dear!

Daryl is in shock, no one has ever said that to him before. As he looks deep into Carol eyes he knows she is telling him the truth. Warmth spreads thought his body, making his heart skip a beat. Wondering hell he got so lucky to find her. He takes a deep breath, pushing all of his worries and doubts side. At this moment in time nothing and no else matters apart from her.

The beautiful Woman who is falling in love with me.

"I'm falling in love with you too." Daryl replies, before pressing his lips against her. A kiss filled with promise.

As the two lovers hold and kiss each other, living in the moment where only each other matter. Both unaware of what is happening a few hours away in Atlantic.

Merle jumps awake at the sound of a door banging. Sophia is fast sleep in his arms. He turns to look at Tara to see if she heard it as well. One look at her tells him everything. Her eyes are wide, the blood drained from her face and she is staring at the door. Merle whips his head around coming face to face with Karen, the monster that calls herself a mum.

Merle narrows his eyes at her, eyes filled with darkness, hate and anger. His lips curl into cruel, twisted evil smile. "Just the person, I've been waiting for."

Silence fills the room, no one says anything. Karen is standing by the front room, her face pale and her eyes wide. She tries to tear her eyes away from Merle's evil death glare, but she can't it's hopeless all she do is hope and pray that she gets out of this alive. She is now seriously regretting mouthing off to Merle the other week. If she thought for second that he would've tracked her down she never would of said anything, but never did that through even cross her mind. All she can think about now, and all that matters is how is she going to talk her way out of this one, this time she might of just bitten off more than she can chew. There are the only thoughts going though her mind, Sophia her daughter doesn't cross her mind once.

Tara is sitting on the chair opposite Merle, quietly taking in the scene in front of her. She knows this is not going to end well for Karen at all, not that she deceases to have her sympathy after everything she has done to Sophia. The only two Tara cares about is Sophia and Merle, she doesn't want Sophia hurt and upset any more than she already is, at the least the girl is asleep that's a blessing. She is also worried about Merle, as she doesn't want him to get into any trouble.

Merle just sits there with his eyes on Karen, watching her. He could feel his blood boiling, rage sweeping though his body. The only thing keeping him in his seat, stopping him from jumping of the sofa and strangling Karen, was the feel of Sophia's warm body cuddled up into him. This little girl was the only thing keeping his temper in check. She had a strange power over him, she was making him feel a bit calmer, helping the rage and helping him think more clearly Merle knew that there wasn't anything in this world he couldn't do for this child, in only a few short hours she had already wormed her way under his skin, into his heart and soul. He wasn't sure how much time had pasted a few seconds; minutes.

"Wh...what...ar...are...y...you...do...doing...he...here?" Karen stuttered

Merle's eyes widen in shocked at the words coming out of Karen's mouth, she didn't ask where her daughter was, no she just asked why he was here.

This woman really has no shame, and she really doesn't care about Sophia! not sure why I'm so surprise really!

"Ya nt' gonna ta ask me abou' Sophia?" Merle asked, his teeth gritted.

"Off course, how is Sophia?" Karen asked in a panicked tone.

"Like ya care."

"I do, I do. You just surprised me, that's all." Karen protested. "What have you done with her?"

"What 've done? Don' ya mean ya?" Merle growled.

"I've done nothing, now tell me before I call the police."

"Please do, I dare ya."

Karen shifted her feet, dropping her graze down. Trying to weigh up her options. What did Merle know? She knew she couldn't call the police not really, she only said that to try and scare him but clearly that wasn't going to work. She brought her graze back up to Merle and plastered the sweetest she smile she could mange. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Tara take Sophia back to the motel please." Merle said not taking his eyes off Karen. He had enough, he wasn't going to sit here and listen to her any more.

How dare she try and blame me after what she has done.

Tara stood up, walked over to Merle and gently placed her hands underneath Sophia. Thankful the girl hadn't woke up at all. She scooped Sophia up, holding her close to her. "Merle what you doing to do?"

"Don't worry, I be fine. Take Sophia 'n' I meet back at motel."

"Ok, be careful."

"What you doing with my daughter?" Karen asked, watching Tara.

"None of ya concern." Merle spit out.

"She is mine, you can't take her."

Tara didn't answer or even look at Karen. She just walked right pasted her and out the door.

Karen back up a couple of steps about to turn around and follow Tara. But she never got the chance. Merle jump out of his seat so fast and flew a cross the back of sofa.

Everything happened so fast, one minute she was watching Tara, about to follow her and the next minute she was scaring into Merle's dark eyes. her feet had left the ground, she could feel Merle's fingers wrapped around her throat.

"Where ya think ya going?" Merle growled, his face inch's away from hers, as he held her in the air, one hand wrapped around her throat.